Tag Archives: carbon-neutral

I have been mindful in recent times in terms of how we use the earth’s resources, in particular our use of fossil fuel. Even if you are sceptical about the causes of climate change, there is a financial incentive to reduce our ‘carbon footprint’: it’s likely that, from mid-2012, there will be a price on carbon, which would cause all sorts of things to become more expensive, including weddings. This would be across the board, eg, hairdressers, beauty salons, florists, bridal shops, reception venues and, of course, celebrants.

Here are some ideas on how to have an environmentally friendly wedding (and help keep costs down):

When choosing a celebrant, ask whether he/she uses recycled paper and email where possible. (Naturally, I do . )

Hire bride’s/bridesmaids’ gowns, as well as suits for the men. If you wish to have gowns made, use cotton and pesticide-free fabrics. Alternatively, go ‘op-shop’.

Consider recycled paper for wedding invitations.

Suggest to guests that they use recycled wrapping paper for gifts. Alternatively, request gifts of money only.

This one is more of a cost cutting hint: Find someone creative who can make bouquets from the gardens of family and friends, or even your own garden. This can be for both ceremony and reception. Guests could then take the flowers home.

To cut down on lighting, have both ceremony and reception held during the day.

Hold the reception near the ceremony, to avoid extra car use. (Some reception venues have beautiful locations for ceremonies, too.) Alternatively, hire a bus to transport guests to and from the reception.